In Thessaloniki (Greece), the airport ranks second in the country in terms of congestion. It is second only to the Athens hub. The Thessaloniki airport handles up to four million passengers annually. However, these air gates of Northern Greece are not impressive in scale. Everything here is cozy and homely. The small size of the only terminal makes it easy to find the right check-in desk. But the airport is constantly being built, improved, and expanded. The last major renovation took place in 2006. It is known that Greece is a country of summer holidays. Therefore, during the holidays, the airport is overloaded due to numerous charter flights. In this article, you will learn what awaits you upon arrival at the Macedonia hub, how to get from it to Thessaloniki and how to spend time there while waiting for your flight.
Short story
In 1930, an airfield was opened on this site. It was a simple airfield, without any infrastructure or even buildings. During World War II, it was used for military aviation purposes. In 1965, the runways were reconstructed so that civilian airliners could land. The terminal was built. The Thessaloniki hub became known as Mikra Airport of Thessaloniki (after the village near which it is located). He retained this name until 1993. Now the hub is called Macedonia Airport (Thessaloniki is the capital of this Greek province). A second terminal and a new runway extending into the sea are currently under construction. After the reconstruction, the hub will be able to receive up to nine million travelers a year.
Where is the airport located
Thessaloniki is a big city. Here is the second largest seaport in Greece. However, despite its large size, the city has only one airport. It is located thirteen kilometers southeast of the center, in a distant suburb of Calamari. Many of our compatriots regard the airport of Thessaloniki as a transit point. From here it is convenient to fly to the Greek islands - Crete, Corfu, Rhodes. Flights from Vnukovo and Domodedovo depart regularly from Moscow to Thessaloniki. Kyiv Boryspil Airport is connected with northern Greece by the Aerosvit carrier. In the summer months, charter flights fly to Thessaloniki from major Russian and European cities. The duration of the flight from Moscow to this Greek city is three hours and 20 minutes.
How to get to the city and to the airport
Cheapestovercome fifteen kilometers separating the city and the hub, will be by bus. Route number 78 runs around the clock, no matter what taxi drivers tell you. The bus stop is located directly at the airport exit. From five in the morning until ten in the evening, bus number 78 runs, and from 23.30 night bus number 78N leaves the route. The interval between cars is half an hour. The cost of the ticket, which is purchased from the driver, is 0.45 Euro. The journey to the final stop - the new railway station - will take about forty-five minutes. A taxi ride will be shorter, more convenient, but also more expensive. The cost fluctuates depending on the distance. On average, count on ten Euros. However, in the opposite direction (from the city to Thessaloniki airport), the trip can be twice as expensive.
Rules for Passenger and Baggage Check-In
In principle, they are not much different from the standards adopted in other hubs. Check-in for the flight of passengers traveling within the country begins two hours before. Those who fly outside of Greece can approach the counters in 2.5 hours. Check-in for all passengers ends forty minutes before the flight departure. If you have a "paper" ticket, you need to present it and your passport. In the case when you bought a seat on an airplane via the Internet, one document will be enough. But Thessaloniki Airport has its own, somewhat strange rules. Travelers will be surprised, but at check-in, the staff will only weigh your luggage. After that, passengers with their suitcases must go to counter number 21. After another queue, you will be issuedluggage and you can proceed to passport control or to the gate.
Scheme of Thessaloniki Airport
Despite the periodic congestion of the hub, everything here works like clockwork. If you flew to Thessaloniki and want to go to the islands or other Greek cities by air, the offices of Olympic, Aegean, Austrian airlines and other carriers are at your service (among them is the low-cost German TUIfly). There are several baggage packing points in the passenger terminal building. Thessaloniki Airport has comfortable waiting rooms, including those for VIP clients and mothers with children. You can have a bite to eat in coffee shops, which are located both in the departure and arrival halls. After passing through passport control, passengers can look into two duty-free shops. The entire infrastructure of the airport is adapted to the needs of the disabled. Luggage storage is open around the clock. There are branches of several banks, currency exchange. If you have any questions, you can get a comprehensive answer in the help desk.
